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The inaugural People & Culture Conference 2024 (PACC2024) has come and gone, but the energy, insights, and connections made are still buzzing. Held at ALOFT KL Sentral from 6 to 7 August, this event brought together a diverse group of leaders, business founders, and people managers from Malaysia and the Asian region, all eager to explore the theme 'Elevating People, Igniting Culture.' As the organiser, we could not be more proud of how everything came together and today, we want to share 5 things we loved about PACC2024.
1. Engaging Conference Structure
The most consistent feedback we received from a majority of the delegates are regarding our unique structure which creates organic engagement throughout the 2 days. From the moment attendees stepped into the venue, they were met with a thoughtfully crafted flow that prioritised their learning, thus maximising both participation and value.
Each session began with an interesting session to set the tone and encourage participants to think critically about the topic at hand. This was followed by the sharing sessions where our incredible speakers dissected and delved deep into the critical aspects of each topic, whether in a keynote, panel discussion, workshop or fireside chat.
To ensure that the learning didn't stop at passive listening, we incorporated running commentary and interactive Q&A sessions, allowing attendees to engage directly with the speakers and get real-time thoughts from the audience, and insights from the speakers on the areas raised by the delegates.
But what truly set our structure apart was the validation quiz that followed each session. This innovative approach turned passive listening into active participation, as attendees were challenged to test their respective learning through a fun, competitive component - adding an exciting and rewarding element to the experience!
Let’s hear from a delegate, Malar Ramalingam, Senior Communication Specialist of Connector Hub South East Asia on what she has to say about PACC2024:
2. Well Curated Topics
For PACC2024, we meticulously curated a lineup of sessions to ensure they delivered actionable insights on today’s most pressing issues in the corporate people and culture landscape. Each session was carefully designed to provide practical strategies and comprehensive frameworks that attendees could immediately apply within their organisations.
Our topics were thoughtfully aligned with our three core pillars: Leadership & Organisational Culture, Talent Development & Performance Management, and Workplace Dynamics & Communication. This approach allowed us to tackle critical challenges and pressing issues in today’s business environment such as leadership diversity, talent retention, and effective workplace communication, ensuring a well-rounded and impactful conference experience for our delegates.
A particular light-bulb moment for me was the panel session on diversity, equality and inclusion. I’m quite passionate about diversity, not just in terms of gender, but also across generational gaps and for people with disabilities. So it’s really refreshing to hear the experiences of other companies who have successfully implemented DEI.
– Ahmad Razif Mohamad, Head of People Experience,
Assembly & Strategic Businesses Malaysia, Sime Darby Motors
Watch Razif’s full testimony below:
3. Knowledgeable & Inspiring Speakers
We owe much of the success of PACC2024 to our stellar speakers. We could not have done it without their contribution. While it’s impossible to capture every nugget of wisdom shared across all sessions and panel discussions, the depth and breadth of valuable insights they shared were nothing short of extraordinary and inspiring.
One particularly impactful moment came when Datuk Dr. Nora Abdul Manaf, Group Chief Human Capital Officer of Maybank shared her personal journey of balancing early career responsibilities with family life. She recounted how earlier in her teaching career, she made the brave decision to bend conventional rules to breastfeed her children.
This poignant example highlighted the importance of developing workplace policies that accommodate diverse needs and foster an environment where top talent can thrive sustainably. Her story underscored the necessity for organisations to create supportive and inclusive policies that enhance employee satisfaction and retention.
In another memorable session, Dato’ Mohd Khalis Abdul Rahim, Group Chief Human Capital Officer of the Malaysia Aviation Group provided a deep dive into the resilience journey of Malaysian Airlines. He shared how the organisation navigated significant challenges and emerged stronger. His powerful statement, "Resilience is Forged in Fire," emphasised that true resilience is not merely about surviving adversity but about creating and embracing opportunities for growth through difficult times, transforming setbacks into stepping stones for future success.
“I’m a firm believer that learning equates to growth. I’m pleased with the outcomes of the sessions, having gained new perspectives and insights. The lineup of speakers was excellent —some of whom I’ve followed for years — making it especially rewarding to learn new things from them. For me, growth is driven by continuous learning or not you’ll lose. So it’s nice to have the opportunity to do that by being here at PACC.”
– Manish Mehta, Regional Director of Payroll Operations &
Head of Global Support Services, ActivPayroll
4. Real Networking Experience
Conferences are as much about the connections you make as they are about the content. And if there’s one thing we heard repeatedly from attendees, it was how valuable the networking opportunities were and how they wished they were longer! The informal networking breakfast and lunch were a highlight, providing a relaxed environment for participants to connect with peers and industry leaders over a good coffee and a warm meal.
Abdul Rahman, Industrial Liaison Officer, MARA described his networking experience as “fantastic.” He explained:
“In one word? Fantastic. Why? I had the chance to connect with peers from different backgrounds and industries, as well as the speakers from across different fields. I learned so much from the diversity of perspectives in the room. I’m amazed how the organisers managed to bring together such a wide range of experts in such a short amount of time. It truly felt like we were a part of a community.”
5. Amazing Delegates
What truly made the People & Culture Conference 2024 stand out were the attendees themselves. The diverse mix of professionals—from seasoned leaders to emerging managers—created a dynamic and enriching environment.
This became another unique feature of the conference whereby the demographic of the conference was made up of almost exclusively people managers and leaders of corporate Malaysia - making this another one-of-a-kind event for champions in the people and culture space.
Regardless of their background, we owe a massive thank you to every single delegate - your eagerness to learn, share, and connect was evident in every session, making the conference a vibrant nucleus of ideas and collaboration.
Visit our gallery to see the beautifully captured atmosphere and energy of the conference! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we’ll let these images do the talking.
It’s Not Goodbye
The People & Culture Conference 2024 was a tremendous success, thanks to the incredible speakers, our supporting partners, engaged delegates, and the many hands behind the scenes that made it all happen. We’re already looking forward to PACC2025, where we hope to bring even more valuable content and opportunities to our growing community.
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